The Ultimate Gilt-Free Jaguar

Dropping $155,000 on a sexy new Jaguar could leave you feeling full of guilt. But not if you buy it with Gilt, as in Gilt.com.

Jaguar, in its seemingly never-ending quest to form rather odd-ball marketing partnerships, has signed-up with the upscale discount website Gilt.com to off-load its most-expensive model ever, the 2013 Jaguar XJL Ultimate.

Normally you log-on to Gilt.com to buy fancy clothes, watches, designer baby gear, and upscale resort rooms at deep-discount prices. I rather liked the Marc Jacobs leather jacket I just saw for $419, down from $858. But please, I could buy those Kenneth Cole wristwatches for less at Steinmart.

Going against the Gilt.com grain, there’s no discount to be had on the $155,875 asking price for the Jaguar XJL Ultimate, but they are throwing in a rather attractive package that does make it a good value.

Sign on the dotted line and your XJL Ultimate comes with airfare for two to London - business-class I hope - plus a four-day, three-night stay in the Jaguar Suite, at 51 Buckingham Gate, a pretty gorgeous five-star London hotel. In case you didn’t know, the hotel is owned by the Taj group, which also owns Jaguar.

At the hotel, you get a gourmet dinner in your suite prepared by a world-renowned Michelin-starred chef - hopefully not the crazy Gordon Ramsey - plus a bottle of chilled Lanson champers. Plus there’s a private meet-and-great with Jaguar’s Design Team who will no doubt help you finish off your bottle of Lanson.

And just in case you don’t have anything to wear for the occasion, the deal includes a $2,500 gift credit to shop-till-you-drop on the Gilt.com site. That Marc Jacobs jacket could be yours.

Of course, even without the Gilt.com package, the Jag XJL Ultimate is worth the asking price. Only 30 examples will be offered in the U.S., guaranteeing you are not likely to see another in the valet line at the Palm Beach Grill.

Designed to be more like a Gulfstream GV than a mere automobile, the XJL Ultimate is wall-to-wall glove-soft leather and mirror-shiny wood, with individual rear seats, dual iPads, a levitating center console table, and naturally, a rear chiller compartment for a bottle of bubbles, complete with a couple of crystal flutes.

Completing each Ultimate model requires an extra six weeks of primping and preening which includes special paintwork and all that back seat custom stitching and cabinetry.

Personally, I still think you’d probably be better off talking to your friendly local Jaguar dealer. I can hear the conversation now when you call up with a problem with a wonky iPad: “That’s right, I bought the car on-line from a website that sells great cheap shoes.”